Adjustable ladder leg



Jan. 9, 19

A. BIER ADJUSTABLE LADDER LEG 2 Sheet s l Filed July 11 1944 QUIITY Jan. 9, 1945.

A. BIERY ADJUSTABLE LADDER LEG Filed July 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 9, 19 45 d flfiibwsirABnn A ERLEG ,der thurBiery Pine Island, Minn. J Application July ll, 1944,.scria1No-544386l;

., [T2 Claims. 01. 228 -63) This invention relates to ladders, and more particularly to extension legs or supports therefor which are provided for equalizingtheposition of the ladder on uneven terrain or bases on whichuthe ladder is mounted for use, and itis an object of the invention to .providepextensions which are projectable beyond. the normal ends of the rails or leg of. the ladder, including novel means for affording speedy adjustment of the extensions and for retaining the extensions in their adjusted positions when weight. is applied totheladder. I

- It isfurthermore an object oi the. invention to provide slidable extensions, one on each side of a pair of rails; the said extensions being connected together by a flexible element such as a rope or cable, operating over guides or pulleys;

howing sion;

, Figure 6. illustratesa sectional view on=the line 6-45 ofFig. 8;, c Figurej 7 illustratesa similar sectional view,- with. the shoedisengaging the extension;

. Figure Sillustrates a sectionalview on 'the line a a of Fig. 5; and] I 6 Figure 9 illustrates a sectional view. of a fragment of a rail of a ladder showing the. means for attachingthe flexible nie mber-theretop In these drawings .10 denotestheside rail of a ladder and I l the legs fof astepladder. As the extensions on the railsand legsare the same a description of the assemblyjior: the extensions and holding means for the rails will suflicefior an whereby the flexible element is moved proportional to the movement of the extensions; and

it is furthermore an object to provide shoes for engaging the extensible members wherebythey are held at different positions of adjustment when the flexible element becomes taut, due to i the upward pressure or force occasioned by th weight of the occupant of the ladder. v It is a, further object of the invention to pro- 3 vide shoes which are forced into engagement with the extensible member whereby it is pressed into contact withthe rail with which it is associated so that the extensible member is frictionally held against movement, it being understood that the action of the shoe depends upon the weight sustained by the ladder in its adjusted position.

With the foregoing and other objects inview, the invention consists in the details of construcunderstanding 3 of the oftheladdenfl q', The extensions 11 are slid lparal1elwith. and on the outer i surfaces or the rails ,and each extension has; a slot. 1 3, through which. guiding members I l-extend, the said guiding members having their inner ends anchored in the rail on which the extension is slidable. In practice, the guiding members may be bolts orv screws, al-

though it is shown that the inner end of the member I4 is screwed into; the leg.

A bracket 15 is secured to the inner surface of ,each of the rails near the bottom thereof, and

a grooved pulley or wheel I 6 is rotatably mounted in the bracket. Each rail has an opening I! tion, and in the arrangement and combination of partsto behereinafter more fully set forth and claimed. l i i In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which: a

Figurel illustrates a view-in side elevation,

showing a step ladder to which the extension is applied; i

Figure 2 illustrates anenlarged detail view,

partly in section, of the lower part of the ladder and the extensions;

Figure 3 illustrates an enlarged side elevation of the lower part of one of the rails, with the extension thereon;

Figure 4 illustrates a view similar to Fig. 2, with the shoes in difierent positions of adjustment;

Figure .5illustrates an enlarged detail view,

through whicha flexible\element; l8 such as a rope or, cable extends, it being shown that the flexible element operates over the wheels and it H i has its ends secured to the upper ends of the extensions in suitable manner and, as here shown,

each end of the cable is formed into a knot l9 which is located at the upper endof the extension. The flexible member is clamped in place by a plate 21! having a fastening member 2| anchored in the extension, thisarrangement of parts being well shown in Fig. 9 where it is also shown that the surface of the extension is recessed, as at 22, to form a clearance for the flexible member.

As a means associated with the flexible member for frictionally retaining the extensions in different positions of adjustment, a shoe 23 co- .acts with the flexible member and the extension on each rail, and the shoe has an inwardly extending threaded bolt 24 which projects through an aperture 25 in the adjacent :rail, and

it is held in plac by nuts 26. Aspring 21 embraces the bolt between the shoe and the rail,

and it is efiective; to force the shoe outwardly the sho in e e i hl alla ns 1 1- th Parts? "as will presently appear.

when tension is released on the flexible member, The outer surface of the shoe has guides 28 secured to it, and the flexible member moves therethrough and binds against the outer surface of the shoe to force it inwardly against the action of the spring into position to clamp against the outer surface of the extension so that the parts are frictionally held in difierent positions of adjustment, although when ight s sensed m. the la de he springs 2"! operate to force the shoe outwardly in order that the extensions may be readily adjusted by rocking the ladder laterally. For in;

stance, if the top of the ladder is leaned tn the left so that the rails on one side are free of the support, the extensions can be projected serene;

the ends of the rail and when weight is applied to the ladder, the flexible member exerts force on the outer surface of the shoe and fgrces it, a ainst the extensiqni binding the ex nsi n against the rail to retain the parts in the ad, lasted Residen- Q The shoe has a facing 2g; tq produse friction en agin t e ea n-sis a d the tension s hrli 1's in sa d edit nes t omv Elie else a reesss 2min. w the beed' the'bolt 24 is looated; the rece ping gf'suffi: dent size ta hermit ten ment at the shoe wi relatientethebeltaeeits head;

Ielaigr; j p x is a l ve esuahee fet. lad ers, add sails e hhe s. 7 'ees turze nearts. lowe n h tete iqn ins de ef the an sugges ng xte s en den eeuter surfed: 9 thesai set st eet, sa d. .ensi ns, havin embers extending t ough the slots and at ered i t e ra ls, a mem r anehe d t ea ra l d e di g eu ard th se h the t etthe ediae n extensi e member ex ernsllyei the i adiusted e s ie s extension, a spring on the member bearing against the shoe for exerting pressure thereon to force it out of engagement with the extension, a flexible member threaded around the wheels and through the apertures of th rails and embracing the outer surfaces of the shoes, the said flexible member having its ends anchored to the upper ends of the extensions whereby gravity forces the ladder downwardly and exerts a pull a he flexib me o bind the sl d s against the extension for frictionally retaining the parts adjusted when the ends of the extensions are-below the ends of the rails.

in a leveling equalizer for ladders, ladder rails each having an aperture near its lower end, a wheel, mounted for rotation inside of the rail opposite the opening, supporting extensions slidably mounted'on the outer surface of the rails at the, lower ends thereof, said extensions having slots, guiding members extending through the slots and anchored in the rails, a member anh red ea rail and ext n ins- QHK QFQIX through the slot of the adja ent, extension, said memberh in a he d h e n a h e idable e h memb a d ha n a r ss in wh ch. h

head. of: the memb leose c ose d. 50- that the s oen m e lensitu iaallr i he item: bee a s r ng: n h m mbe b tw en ile-rail n h sh r normallyqrei th h e elite d r; a e l mem er ens-ag n the Wheels a ex end ough the rails and the slats of the extensions and embracing the enter 5112 face ef't' e Shoes, me ns. fe eneherins t e en ef t e ex l m b o e mis ed extensi ns n the lsere y are ity estheeilswitb a i n. to the e e i ns and. e a n ll. the fl x m mb r to force the h nto en: easement-with the extens ens fer ho ing the 

